Halloween is coming, and once again, the Red Cross has some safety tips that we encourage everyone to keep in mind when going trick-or-treating!

This year, the seasonal flu and H1N1 have been major concerns across the board, so we also want to suggest some precautions. Think about these actions you can take:

• If your child is sick, keep them at home. This will be disappointing to your young one, but your neighbors and community are counting on you to hold the line on transmission of this virus.
• Remind kids to keep their hands away from their eyes, nose and mouth to keep germs away. Carry that hand sanitizer with you or have it near your candy dispensing area.
• If you are giving out candy, hand it out or scoop it. Instead of a bowl of candy, consider handing out small, individually wrapped bags of treats.

Is the flu a concern to you this year? If so, what other steps have you considered taking to avoid it? Please let us know by commenting here!

For more general Halloween tips, check out our handy flyer – complete with spooky rhymes. There is also a very cute recording of kids reciting these tips from our podcast.

If you’d like to print out this flyer, you can download a PDF here.

Happy Halloween from all of us here at the Red Cross!

Filed under: Preparedness